David Reaves to call plays in Birmingham Bowl

Bulls tight ends coach David Reaves, one of only three USF assistants on staff for the entire Willie Taggart era, will serve as the main play caller for the Birmingham Bowl, interim coach T.J. Weist announced.

Officially, Reaves will serve as co-offensive coordinator for the game with offensive line coach Darren Hiller, Weist said. Reaves, who turned 38 on Monday, spent the regular season working from the coaches box, but it hasn't been determined whether he'll remain there for the bowl game.

"He's been a coordinator before (at New Mexico in 2011), he's called plays, so I trust his ability and stuff," Weist said following Tuesday's practice, USF's first bowl workout in full pads. "And he really knows this offense very well."

Reaves' promotion is accompanied by an odd fate twist: He spent seven seasons as an assistant at South Carolina, the Bulls' foe in Birmingham.

"These three or four days, getting ready for this game and keeping this team together has been really good. Our staff's done a great job. The players have responded, and we're gonna keep going with it. We're gonna have fun but we're gonna practice hard."

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